If You Should See Me
by LittleTayy
Summary: A brazen assault leaves a family shattered and in pieces. How will the McMahon's survive when the assault is only the tip of a long, sordid iceberg?
1. Chapter 1

**_**Warning: The work below contains what I believe to be a graphic depiction of rape and discussion of rape. If this may be triggering or offensive in any way, I advise that you do not continue to read. Thank you. **_**

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**If You Should See Me…**

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Stephanie stepped into the parking garage tiredly, checking her phone to see the time. The girls would be home from school by now and if there wasn't too much traffic she would make it home just in time for dinner. Paul was down at NXT for a taping and probably wouldn't be home till the early hours of the morning which meant she'd have a few hours to her self once the girls went to bed.

She was focused on sending a text to their nanny Lucy, not noticing the figure waiting for her near her car. She sent off the text, unlocking her car as she approached. The wrestling executive pulled open the back door moving to put her bags on the backseat when she felt someone behind her. Before she could react the person had grabbed her hair roughly, slamming her head forward against the top of the car and splitting open her head.

Stephanie was dazed, colours bursting behind her eyes as she felt herself being pushed into the back seat of her car. She felt hands turning her over and she frowned, struggling weakly against them as she realised the situation she was in. Her head was pounding and heavy as she felt a weight on top of her and it made her push at a solid chest even more.

"Stop...get off..." she managed to mumble out, black spots dancing in her eyes. Before she knew it though she felt a sharp pain against her cheek and temple knocking her head to the side.

Tears pooled in her eyes as her glazed over eyes looked at the black leather of her seats. She felt her attackers hands moving over her body, sliding up and under her dress and mentally cursed herself for wearing a dress for the day. She was frozen in fear as the man pushed her dress up around her hips and ripped at her underwear, pushing into her slowly.

Stephanie felt bile rise in her throat as he violated her, pressing her eyes closed as her head ached sharply. She tried once more to push him off but he overpowered her, pressing her hands above her head as he started to push in and out of her quickly.

Moments passed and her attacker quickly came inside her, nuzzling his face against her hair as he did. "Stephie," he groaned out gruffly, stroking her bruising cheek tenderly.

He pulled out of her quickly and turned her face to kiss her roughly. "I'll be back Stephie," he whispered to her, moving off her quickly and out of the car. The attacker fled into the evening as Stephanie lay passed out in the back of her car.

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_AN: I know, I shouldn't be starting another fic but this wouldn't leave me alone. It is very dark and if it's not your thing than do not continue to read. _

_Please review and let me know what you think. :) LT._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Warning: The work below contains implications of rape. If this may be triggering or offensive in any way, I advise that you do not continue to read. Thank you.**_

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**If You Should See Me…**

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Vince McMahon strolled happily into the parking garage, making his way over to his large car. It was Thursday evening and despite having one more day of work he was already looking forward to the weekend. He was a hard worker and loved his job, there was no doubt about that but as he got older he was starting to enjoy the more downtime he was getting.

He thought it might be nice to see his grandchildren over the weekend. The thought popped into his head of having a family barbecue on Sunday and he made a mental note to call Stephanie and Shane about it once he'd gotten home. He knew it probably wouldn't be a problem for Stephanie; after all they lived only 15 minutes away from each other, Shane however was so close. Still, even if Shane couldn't make it, he'd happily spend time with his three gorgeous little granddaughters' without fuss.

As he neared his car he frowned curiously when he saw Stephanie's car still in her parking space. She had stopped by his office on her way out to say goodbye, bags in hand and Vince had assumed she was leaving straight away. Maybe he'd been wrong but he didn't think so. A weird feeling settled in his stomach as he made his way over to her car to check everything was all right.

Upon reaching the car panic started to creep up on him as he saw the back door of her Mercedes was wide open and her handbag and contents were scattered by the side. He rushed forward, obviously worried for his daughter at the unusual sight by her car. His blood ran cold in an instant however when he peered inside the back as saw Stephanie's unconscious form.

His gaze immediately went to the blood gushing from her head before it traveled down her body and he winced, glancing away for a moment. He could clearly see her dress had been bunched up around her waist and the bruises forming on her thighs. He dared not look any further than that.

Several moments passed where he stood frozen in front of his daughter's car before he sprung into action. He pulled his jacket off quickly, putting it over her lower body to preserve some of her dignity before calling for an ambulance and the police. By this point his blood was boiling at the thought that someone had dared attack his daughter in the parking lot of WWE Headquarters.

In fact the thought of someone attacking his daughter at all was making his heart race angrily. Stephanie, despite her on-screen persona, was an absolutely sweet woman and she always had been. She had her moments of course, but never had she been horrible enough to anyone that it would warrant being attacked. Vince couldn't think about the fact that her underwear was missing and the horrible implications of what that meant.

"Stephanie," he called, not wanting to touch her but also wanting to try and wake her up. There was a lot of blood and though he knew head wounds bled profusely even if it wasn't serious, it didn't stop him from worrying. He gently shook her shoulder as he leant over her in the car and he sighed with relief as he saw her start to stir.

"Steph, sweetheart…can you hear me?" he asked, watching as her eyes flickered open, looking up at him with glazed over eyes. His heart broke however when she violently flinched away from the hand resting on her shoulder. The McMahon patriarch quickly moved out of the car, giving his daughter space as he heard the sirens of an ambulance getting closer.

"Daddy?" Stephanie asked groggily as her vision cleared and she saw him standing just outside her car. The memory of what had happened came back in an instant and she turned vomiting the contents of her stomach onto the floor of the backseat. Tears sprung from her eyes quickly, even as her head swam at the sudden movement.

"It's alright Stephanie, you're alright," Vince repeated softly, moving to awkwardly rub at his daughter's back as the paramedics arrived along with the police a short time after.

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_AN: These are kind of short at the moment but it also means I'll get them written quicker. Though they will probably get a bit longer as time progresses. Maybe._

_Please review and let me know what you think. :) LT._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Warning: The work below contains discussion of rape. If this may be triggering or offensive in any way, I advise that you do not continue to read. Thank you.**_

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**If You Should See Me…**

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"Over here," Vince called, waving hurriedly to the ambulance as it pulled in to the parking spot beside Stephanie's car. Two female paramedics quickly exited, making their way over to him and Stephanie. He stepped aside as one of the medics looked inside the car, asking him if he knew what her injuries were. "She's bleeding…from the head. I don't know," he answered, shaking his head. He didn't know what else to say; he was angry and in shock.

He moved out of the way, realizing he couldn't be of any help to the two other women and sighed. The reality of what was happening was finally hitting him as he actually processed the fact his baby girl had been…violated in the most horrible way possible. Tears gathered in his eyes and he wiped at them angrily as a police officer he hadn't noticed approached him.

"Sir?" Officer Daniel Mickelson called, trying to catch the older man's attention. Once Vince looked towards him the police officer continued. "I'm Officer Mickelson. Can you tell me what happened here?" he asked, taking a quick glance over towards the car the man had just moved away from.

Vince shook his head absently, "My daughter…Stephanie…she was meant to be on her way home. I found her in her car unconscious," he told him, looking over as he noticed the medics moving Stephanie towards the ambulance. Even from a small distance he could see the pain in her eyes and tears on her face as she walked gingerly over to the ambulance. She swayed a little on her feet and Vince would bet money on the fact she was most likely concussed.

"I need to go to the hospital with her," he blurted out after a moment, moving away from Officer Mickelson without another word. The fairly young police officer sighed, knowing he should've gotten the man to stay and give a statement but it was obvious he wasn't going to stick around when his daughter was so obviously hurt.

As the ambulance Officer Mickelson watched as his partner made her way over to him. Juliet Ryan had been on the police force for 20 odd years and hated to admit that she'd seen scenes like this far more than she'd have liked. She sighed as she came to stand beside her partner, already knowing what type of investigation this would be.

"What did the medics say?" Mickelson asked, knowing she'd spoken discretely with one of the medics just before they'd taken the victim to the hospital.

"The woman's got a cut on her head and most probably a concussion too. They also think there's a possibility of sexual assault. I'll call the detectives, you get CSU down here," Officer Ryan answered with a sigh.

"Shit."

"Yeah. Then we should probably get to the hospital, get a statement off the old guy," Ryan continued as she moved about to secure the area.

"He's her father. Seemed pretty upset, might not be able to get much out of him honestly," Mickelson replied as he heard a faint ringing. He frowned, approaching the car as the noise got louder. It was evident by now that it was a cellphone ringing and Mickelson was sure it'd be the victim's, Stephanie, according to her father.

He knelt down carefully as he spotted the phone just by the back wheel of the car, the screen of the iPhone cracked. Even with the cracks running across the screen he could still make out the name on the caller I.D. Paul. He wondered just who it could be as it stopped ringing, possibly a husband or a boyfriend – he made a note to ask the father once they were at the hospital.

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_AN: So I have question for you all; would you rather more often updates and shorter chapters or longer chapters and less often updates? Let me know if the reviews please._

_Please let me know what you thought in the reviews. :) LT._


	4. Chapter 4

**If You Should See Me…**

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Paul Levesque sat comfortably in the production area of NXT, calling the shots as he usually did. The show was just over half way when the buzz of his cellphone caught his attention yet again. It'd been buzzing for almost five minutes now and frustrated Paul pulled it out of his suit pocket frowning as he saw the screen.

Two missed calls from his mother in law Linda McMahon and a third call in progress. He frowned, wondering what the older woman could be calling for when he realized it had to be something serious. Linda didn't just call him out of the blue like this while he was working and definitely not at the current frequency she seemed to be.

He pulled off the production headphones and got up out of his seat, signaling to the guys beside him that he had to take this. The wrestler pressed the call button, bringing it up to his ear as he made his way down the hallway a little, a small attempt at privacy.

"Linda?" He greeted, tone curious and a little worried.

"_Paul, thank goodness you answered. I wasn't sure if you would." _

"Uh yeah…well I'm in the middle of tapings but three calls seemed kind of urgent," he answered a little nervously. There was something about the sound of her voice, they way she was speaking that had an unexpected bad feeling settling in his gut. Something was wrong…he could feel it.

"_Something's happened Paul. I need you to stay calm but Stephanie was attacked. Vince found her in the parking lot and she's at the hospital. You need to come home, right now," _the older woman told him, trying to sound as calm as she could.

Paul listened to his mother in law carefully, heart stopping for a moment at her words. Stephanie had been attacked? What the hell did that mean? She was hurt and in hospital and he was in another state. He could feel himself start to tremble, Linda was right…he needed to get home.

"Fuck," he exclaimed, no longer caring that it was her mother-in-law on the phone. "What happened? Is she okay? I'm leaving now…" he growled into the phone, his free hand clenched into a fist.

He didn't give her a chance to answer however, hanging up on her as he banged his hand against the wall. His blood was boiling now as he thought about the fact someone had had the audacity to _hurt _his wife. Stephanie was one of the sweetest people he'd ever met; if there was anyone in the world that didn't deserve to be hurt it was her.

He stormed back to the production room, barely spitting out that there was a family emergency and he needed to go. Grabbing his stuff he made his way out of the university and straight to his car, the driver surprised by his sudden appearance but not saying a word and the thunderous look on Paul's face.

The plane ride back to Connecticut felt like a lifetime to Paul as he sat and stewed over what had happened. There was nothing else he could do while he was in the air and the thoughts swirling around in his mind were just making him angrier and angrier. As soon as the flight landed he headed straight for the hospital having had Linda text him which one as he got closer to home.

As soon as he got to the hospital he hurried through the doors and towards the reception desk. "Stephanie….Levesque?" he asked quickly, "What room is she in?" he asked, knowing that she was probably in a room by now unless whatever had happened to her was far more serious then he thought.

The woman behind the reception desk gave him her room number and floor and he was heading towards the elevators before she'd even finished. The elevator ride up to her floor seemed to take forever and it was making Paul nervous. He had no real idea what was going on or what state she was in and it made him sick.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the ding of the elevator and he realized it'd stopped on his floor. He stepped out hesitantly, suddenly unsure of himself as he looked around the corridors, trying to find any sign of just where his wife was. It took him a moment before he turned down the hallway, following the room numbers until he came to a small waiting area, seeing Linda sitting awkwardly in a plastic chair.

"Linda," he called out, as he got closer, grabbing her attention. "Where is she? How is she? Can I see her?" he asked quickly, bombarding his mother in law with questions.

Paul watched as she stood, noticing the visible redness around her eyes and tear tracks staining her face. He felt his heart clench painfully, that sick feeling returning to his gut as he thought about all the horrible possibilities of what could have happened to Stephanie.

"Paul…she's just in a room down the hall a little," Linda started, trying to sound as soothing and comforting as she could, "She's got a concussion and a cut on her head so they're keeping her in overnight to watch it," she told him, lips pursing as he took in her words.

"So she'll be okay?" Paul asked, starting to calm down a little. A concussion and a cut on her head weren't too bad and he hated himself for thinking something even worse had happened. He sighed, shoulder's dropping from their tense position as he processed Linda's words. "Can I see her?" he asked again, not taking not of the sad look in Linda's eyes.

"Physically she will be…" The McMahon matriarch said, frowning as she thought about what'd happened to her poor daughter.

Paul frowned at her words, focusing back in on the woman. "What do you mean physically?" he asked gruffly, his chest tightening as he realized that obviously, there was more.

"Oh Paul…she was raped," Linda told him quietly, tears in her eyes.

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_AN: So, I am totally unreliable. I'm sorry. Most people wanted short chapters and frequent updates then I disappear for a month. Anyway, here it is...a bit longer than the rest just to make up a bit for the wait. This month is a little hectic for me though, so I don't know when I'll update again. Sorry. _

_I hope you enjoyed. Please review. :) LT._


	5. Chapter 5

**_**Warning: The work below contains discussion of rape. If this may be triggering or offensive in any way, I advise that you do not continue to read. Thank you. **_**

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**If You Should See Me… **

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"I'm going to kill whatever sick fuck did this to her. I swear I will."

Vince McMahon heard a voice growl as he turned the corner. He wasn't surprised at all when he saw his son-in-law standing a little way away from his wife, hands both clearly clenched tightly by his sides. Even without seeing his face Vince could tell that the younger man was distraught and the McMahon patriarch knew he had to pull himself together for the sake of his family.

"Paul," his voice boomed as he walked closer. He watched as the ex-wrestler spun around quickly, devastation and anger clear on his face.

"How the fuck did you let this happen?" Paul growled stepping up to Vince and getting in his face. He was angry, beyond angry even and he needed to find someone to blame and apparently Vince was going to be that man. "She's your daughter! You're meant to fucking protect her," he continued to yell, poking a finger against his chest angrily.

Before it could go any further and the officer stepped in, Linda pushed her way between the two burly men, giving them some distance. She could understand that Paul was angry and upset, but taking it out on Vince was not the way to go. It certainly wasn't his fault and she knew Stephanie wouldn't like it if she found out her husband was blaming her father for this happening.

"Enough! The both of you. Blame isn't going to help Stephanie!" Linda practically shouted, glaring at each man before they could say anything further.

Both stepped back a little stunned by her outburst. Linda was the quiet, gentle one in the family; something neither of her children had seemed to inherit from her. So to hear her shout was very rare and surprised both men.

"Linda I'm sorry," Paul breathed out, the shock of what had happened to his wife dissipating just a little.

His face fell in devastation as he realized that his mother-in-law was right. Shouting at Vince and blaming him wasn't going to help his wife or find out who'd do such a disgusting thing. Tears welled up in his eyes then as he finally processed just what had happened. Someone had violated his wife; they'd raped her and hurt her in the worst way possible. He was horrified as he realized he had no idea how to even begin to help Stephanie recover from this.

"You were just reacting," Linda replied as she nodded at the younger man. Vince just kept quiet, knowing it'd be no use saying anything now.

It was at this point that Stephanie's doctor appeared, walking towards them from Stephanie's room. As soon as she stepped up to Vince and Linda, Paul realized she was Stephanie's doctor and couldn't hold back from speaking. "Is Stephanie okay? Can I see her?" he asked quickly and at her look of confusion he added, "I'm Stephanie's husband. Can I please see her doctor?" he asked again desperately.

"I'm Doctor Mathers. I take it you're Paul then? She was asking for you earlier," she greeted, smiling slightly at him. "You can see her in a moment but I think it's best if we discussed some of her injuries."

"Okay," Paul sighed, running a hand over his head in slight frustration.

"Alright. Firstly, she does have a severe concussion. There's a laceration on her forehead, likely suggesting her head was slammed against something and bruising on her cheek, which looks to be from a hit perhaps. She was also given a rape kit, which showed vaginal tearing that has been sutured already. Mrs. Levesque also has minor bruising to her wrists and the insides of her thighs but that should heal up pretty quickly. Overall she has minor injuries but because of the concussion we'd like to keep her in for observation overnight. She'll most likely be released tomorrow afternoon," the doctor told them all.

"Can I see her doctor?" Paul asked again after a moment, body trembling as he thought about her injuries.

"Of course," Doctor Mathers nodded, sighing a little as Paul pushed passed her and rushed towards his wife's room. "That's all for now. The nurses will check on her on the hour, to make sure the concussion isn't affecting her badly," the doctor told Vince and Linda before walking away.

Paul meanwhile, stood outside her door willing up the courage to go inside and see his wife. He wanted to, desperately because he wanted to be there for his wife but he just didn't know how she'd respond. The doctor had said she'd asked for him earlier but what if she was too afraid of him when face-to-face? It was horrible to think she could be scared in his presence because he'd never, not in a million years hurt Stephanie.

He took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping inside slowly. He looked up, not sure what to expect and connected eyes with Stephanie almost immediately. He saw the pain and the humiliation and the sadness in her gaze before she completely burst into tears.

The ex-wrestler rushed to his wife's side, extending a hand to wipe away her tears. His heart sunk as he saw her freeze for a moment at the touch before relaxing. He smiled slightly however when her arms wrapped tightly around him and she buried her face against his chest. His arms immediately encircled her, holding her close as he stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

"Shh, it's okay Steph. It's okay. I'm here. I'm never going to let anyone hurt you again. Do understand? I'm so sorry. Fuck…I'm so sorry baby," he whispered to her, succumbing to his own tears as he held her.

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_AN: I know, I said I'd do short chapters and more frequent updates but apparently the muse isn't liking that. I truly am sorry for the sporadic updates. _

_Hope you enjoyed. Please review. :)_


	6. Chapter 6

**If You Should See Me…**

They held each other tightly for several long moments, Paul never wanting to let her go ever again. He hated that someone had hurt her and he swore that if he ever found out who it was he would kill him, consequences be damned. Mostly though he felt guilty at the fact that he hadn't been able to protect her from whoever had done this. He was her husband, he was supposed to protect her and keep her safe but he had failed.

After a moment they pulled apart, arms still around each other as Paul moved to sit on the edge of the bed with her. He wanted to keep her wrapped up in his arms where he knew no one could harm her forever. For now though he would settle for simply keeping her close.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Stephanie whispered quietly as she looked at her obviously upset husband.

Paul shook his head, "I should have been there Steph. I should have protected you," he all but growled angrily.

At his words Stephanie's tears started again. It seemed her emotions were all over the place and she hated it honestly. She had been trying to block out everything that had happened but it was hard when her husband was obviously blaming himself. His words brought back the vague memories of her trying to push her attacker off as he violated her and it made her sick.

The nausea rose quickly and she grabbed at the bowl sitting beside her bed, vomiting into it quickly. Tears pouring down her cheeks as she wiped at her mouth, eyes closing only for them to spring open again as the image of him holding her down sprung to her mind. She vomited again, trying not to sob as she placed the bowl back on the bedside table.

She felt Paul's hand rubbing her back soothingly and she turned back into him, burying her face against his neck. Her hands clung to his shirt tightly as she cried. His arms wrapped tightly around her, making her feel safe and secure; she knew he would never hurt her.

His touch had frightened her at first but now it was the only thing that had made her feel even the littlest bit better since this whole ordeal had happened. He was home. He was her protector and lover and she knew she'd always be safe with him. She would stay here in his arms forever if she could, if only so she wouldn't have to deal with her reality at the moment.

"I want to go home Paul," she whispered after a while, eyes closed tightly and head pressed against his shoulder.

"I know you do Steph," he replied, hand rubbing soothingly up and down her back, "But you've got a concussion. The doctors want you to stay overnight so they can make sure you're okay," he told her quietly, head resting atop hers.

"I don't want too," she cried softly, shaking her head against his chest.

"Shh baby, I know. I know you don't," he soothed, "I'm not going anywhere okay? I'm staying right here with you all night," he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Promise?"

"I promise sweetheart," he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

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_AN: So short chapters and faster updates, that's what I'm going to do. So here's the next chapter. _

_I hope you enjoyed. Please review. :) LT._


	7. Chapter 7

**If You Should See Me…**

A small argument had ensued with the doctor about Paul being allowed to stay the night but eventually he'd gotten his way and retreated back to Stephanie's private room. His frame was far too big to fit comfortably on the bed with Stephanie so he'd sat on the chair by her bed, holding her hand tightly as she'd fallen asleep. Asleep was the first time she'd looked like his Stephanie and his heart ached at the memory of how distraught and upset she'd been.

Her peaceful looking sleep didn't last long however as only an hour after she'd fallen asleep she began to shift in her bed. The movements stirred Paul from his light slumber, looking up at her and frowning as he realized she was lost in a nightmare.

"Stop, no…please don't," she whimpered, face screwed up in a frown as her hands pushed at the air around her.

Paul was alert immediately, sitting up straighter as he reached out his hands to take hers. He held them gently as he called out to her, not wanting to startle her. It was obvious she was having a nightmare and Paul didn't need three guesses to know what about.

"Stephanie," he called, "Steph wake up. You're okay, it's just a nightmare," he tried, shaking her hands as gently as he could even as she tried to pull away from them.

It took several long moments before her eyes eventually opened and she looked around dazed and confused. She was breathing heavily, tears in her eyes as she clung tightly to Paul's hands, finally focusing on him. Paul's heart broke as he looked at her and saw the defeated look in her eyes and it hit him then how much their lives were changed now because of this.

"Paul?" she asked quietly, gripping his hands tight.

"Yeah? I'm here baby, it's okay," he told her gently, rubbing his thumbs over her hands.

"Hold me. Please?" she asked not sounding like herself at all.

Paul nodded at her request, standing up and watching as she shifted in the hospital bed. He moved onto it next to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her lightly against his chest, careful not to hurt her. Her head rested against his chest and it didn't take long for him to realize that she'd begun crying. He didn't say anything though, he simply held her, a hand rubbing her back hoping it helped somehow.

Stephanie winced in pain a little as she stood up from the hospital bed. Paul hadn't left her side since he'd gotten to the hospital and Stephanie was so grateful for that; but she was even more grateful to be finally going home. She couldn't stand to stay in this hospital any longer then she already had.

Her whole body ached as she moved and she wondered how long that would last. The doctor had said that her physical injuries wouldn't take long to heal but the emotional pain she felt hurt the worst. She was trying not to think about what had happened but it was hard not to when she had the physical pain there to remind her. She just wanted to go home, lock herself away and forget this had ever happened to her.

The police had come to talk to her that morning and it'd been hard to recount everything she could remember happening when Paul was by her side. She had been hesitant at first but he'd held her hand and wiped away her tears; he was being strong for her and she couldn't help but love him even more for it. She wasn't sure how she could ever live her life without the man.

He led her out of the room and downstairs as quickly and as painlessly as he could, a hand resting on the small of her back. It wasn't an unusual gesture between them but it was one Stephanie appreciated because it gave her comfort to know he was there. He helped her into the car and despite it being a completely different one to her Mercedes she still hesitated for a moment before reminding herself that Paul was there and he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"Ready to go home?" he asked as he slipped into the driver's seat and glanced over her.

"Yes," she nodded quietly, "I can't wait to see the girls. I missed them… What did you tell them?" she asked worriedly, eyebrows furrowing.

"They miss you. They were with Marissa and Shane. Marissa told them that you got hurt and had to stay at the hospital to make sure you were okay. She told me the girls were fine though. Just a little bit worried about you," he replied, hoping that settled her worry for a little at least.

"Good. I don't want them to know what happened. They're too young. I just want to hold them," Stephanie told him, resting back against the seat.

"And you will baby. We'll be home soon."

Stephanie smiled; glad to be going home to her daughters and getting out of that hospital. She just wanted to be with her girls and her husband, away from the rest of the world. She never wanted to have to think about what had happened again, pushing it to the back of her mind, just as she had many other things in her life.

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_AN: Kinda sorta a filler chapter. But hey, I'm back! I'm so sorry it's been forever and a day. I started working and have had a lot of personal stuff going on that killed my muse. _

_But I'm back now. So hopefully I can get into the swing of things._

_Please read and review. :) LT._


	8. Chapter 8

**Trigger Warning: This chapter does contain implications of rape and underage sex. If this may offend, trigger or upset you then I suggest you do not continue to read. Thank you. **

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**If You Should See Me…**

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_Hands touched softly, gently over her skin, slipping under her pajamas. She was on her bed but her bed looked different. It was white wood and a canopy and oh…it was her childhood bedroom in her parent's house, she realized. The hands were still touching her, caressing her skin as they slowly undressed her. She felt their body hover over hers and felt their warm breath over her skin as the hands continued to touch her, straying to more intimate areas this time. _

_"You feel so good Stephie," a voice whispered against her ear. _

_Her eyes opened widely at the words and she was in her car. The black leather surrounded her and she could feel the hands on her rougher now, holding her down. She tried to struggle, tried to call out for help but a hand covered her mouth, the same voice growling into her ear now. _

_"Shh. You know I love you Stephie," the voice told her, "It'll only hurt for a moment." _

_Tears streamed down her young cheeks before she felt like she was being shaken…_

"Stephanie! Stephanie, wake up," Paul called as gently as he could, shaking her shoulders. It was obvious to him that she was in the grips of a nightmare; there hadn't been a nightmare free night yet. Ever since she'd been released from the hospital she had been having them nightly; it'd only been a week and he knew it was starting to exhaust her.

It took several long moments but finally her eyes opened, her face already wet with tears and her breathing short and unsteady. For a moment she was disorientated, unsure of where she was and Paul shuffled back a little, having learnt on the first night home that leaning over her wasn't a good idea. While so far she had been okay with physical contact with him, he'd learnt that when she woke up like this, she didn't like to be touched. The almost busted lip he'd gotten the night she came home from the hospital was enough to remind him.

Slowly Stephanie pushed herself up and back against the headboard, tears still falling down her face. A hand pressed against her stomach as she brought her knees up against her chest, wincing in pain a little. She felt like she couldn't breathe, her heart pounding as she tried to calm herself down. Her body was shaking as she sat there, her eyes closing as she used her other hand to try and wipe at her tears, mind going over the nightmare she'd just had. It had started as a dream which had quickly morphed into a nightmare of her attack, a nightmare that she'd been having since she got home in some variation every night.

"I-I'm sorry," she mumbled out, finally looking up at her worried husband. He was sitting in their bed beside, face tired and concerned, she could see that even in the dark of their room.

"Hey, no, Steph…don't apologise," Paul was quick to try and hush her, shaking his head. She had nothing to be sorry for he knew she couldn't help that she was having nightmares. "You can't help it Stephanie, it's okay," he murmured softly, reaching out a hand to touch her only to quickly drop his hand. He still wasn't quite sure what was acceptable touching anymore and he had a feeling that in this state, her reaction wouldn't be a good one.

"It's not," she breathed, shaking her head as the tears continued to fall, "I don't…I don't want these dreams," she sobs out, eyes falling closed as she spoke.

Paul sighed as he watched her, wanting nothing more then to comfort her but not quite knowing how. This whole situation was so new and foreign for the both of them and he felt like they'd never be able to heal from this. He knew of course that these things took time but he already felt lost, he already felt like everything was turned upside down and he could only imagine how Stephanie felt now.

"I know you don't baby," he murmured back, voice low and gravelly. It hurt him to see how absolutely shattered Stephanie was by this, how much she'd changed already in just over a week. "Why don't I run you a shower? It might help you calm down?" he suggested softly reaching a hand out to her but not touching her just yet. He left it outstretched in front of her, palm turned upwards so she could take it whenever she felt comfortable.

It took a few minutes but eventually Stephanie slipped her hand into his, giving it a shaky squeeze as they both got out of bed. He lead her towards their attached bathroom, her hands clinging to his arm as he ushered her to sit down on the toilet while he started the shower for her. He took a moment to adjust it to the temperature he knew she liked before turning back around to her. His heart broke again as he looked at her sitting there; he'd never in his life seen her look as small and defeated as looked in that moment.

He stepped closer to her, squatting down in front of her so she could look at him properly. He reached his hands out slowly, taking hers in his and giving a gentle squeeze as their eyes connected. "Do you want me to help you get undressed Steph?" he asked softly, thumbs rubbing gently over the skin of her hands.

The vigorous shake of her head didn't surprise him at all. She hadn't let him see her undressed since she'd gotten home but he wasn't going to push her. He loved her, no matter what had happened and his focus right now was only on how he could help her get better. He slowly let go of her hands, standing up as he did so and leaving her to the bathroom alone. He hated that he couldn't do more for her, she was Stephanie, his wife and he loved her more then anything. But for now, he knew all he could do was be there to try and help and support her.

* * *

_AN: So, it's been a long time. But, there is a second part to this chapter. It'll be up tomorrow for me, I suppose a little later for Americans. I'm not quite sure. _

_Either way, I hope you enjoyed! Please review. :) LT._


	9. Chapter 9

**If You Should See Me…**

As soon as the door closed behind him Stephanie let out a sigh. Paul was being so loving and sweet and supportive and she didn't know what to do because of it. She knew he was doing it because he was her husband and because he loved her but she felt bad. She felt bad about him having to look after her essentially; she could see he had barely slept; he woke up every night with her and her nightmares. He had been looking after her ever since she came home and she could see the exhaustion already on his face.

She slowly stood after a moment, pulling off her pajamas and stepping into the shower. It was warm, just how she liked it and a few tears slipped out; because _of course_ Paul knew just how she liked it. She let the water wash over her quickly before reaching out and turning the water up hotter.

Stephanie knew it'd leave her skin red and hot but it was the only way she'd been able to shower the last week. She hated the fact that she felt dirty, like she was unclean and the scorching hot shower was the only way she knew how to feel better, if only for a little while. Looking down, her lip trembled, her eyes welling up with tears as she still saw the faint bruises on her body.

The bruises around her wrists were already faded, only hints of yellow marring her skin. Her face she knew was still bruised, the cut on her head still stung and she hadn't been able to look at herself in a mirror yet. She hadn't wanted to see the damage and beyond that, she couldn't bare to see the damage that this one violent act had caused on her. Looking down at her thighs, her eyes squeezed shut quickly; she couldn't bear to look down at the rest of her body either. The bruises were starting to turn yellow on her thighs, the ache between her legs slowly ceasing and she hoped that meant the tear inside of her was healing.

Taking the body wash off the shower shelf, she cleaned herself thoroughly, eyes closed and breathing slowly as she did so. She didn't feel like herself anymore; her body no longer felt like her own. She couldn't even look at herself, she couldn't handle the thought of looking at her body and seeing it differently then she used too. Her eyes opened briefly as she washed the body wash off but the tears were back and she slowly sunk to the shower floor, knees pressing up against her chest, arms wrapping around her legs tightly. The tears were coming fully now as she sobbed, face buried against her knees.

She didn't know how long she'd stayed in that position for but she was sure she could feel the water starting to go cold. It didn't matter though as she heard a knock on the bathroom door, startling her a little as she looked up, watching the door open slowly. "Steph?" she heard her husbands soft voice call to her; it was obvious he was checking on her to make sure she was okay but she didn't think she had it in her to speak.

Paul stepped further into the bathroom and Stephanie's eyes connected with his; the sadness in his eyes was hard to miss and it made the tears well up again. She couldn't stop the tears and as her husband stepped into the shower, leaning over her and turning the water off. The water had felt cold against her skin and the air even more so but she still hadn't moved, instead sitting huddled on the shower floor watching the man in front of her. A beat passed as she saw him look at her before he stepped out of the shower, grabbing her towel off the rack and squatting in front of her, gently wrapping the towel around her body. "I'm sorry," she murmured as she reached out to grip his hand, giving a gentle squeeze before pulling it back again.

"Don't apologise. It's okay," his gruff voice replied, his hand reaching out to softly smooth over her hair as he pressed a quick light kiss to her forehead. He stood up then, making his way back out of the bathroom, wanting to give her space. Stephanie appreciated the gesture, she still hadn't been able to look at her own body yet, much less let Paul see her naked. She felt vaguely bad about it; she'd never had much of an issue with letting him see her without clothes but now everything was just so different. She felt different. The counselor at the hospital and the detectives had told her it'd take time to heal but it'd only been a week so far and she was sick of feeling the way she was.

Slowly Stephanie rose from her position, wrapping the towel better around her as she stepped out of the shower. The heated tiles of the floor beneath her made her shiver, a sharp contrast to how cold she'd just been but she didn't mind as she started to dry herself off. A floor length mirror was situated on the wall beside the door and as Stephanie turned she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflective material.

The towel wrapped around her loosely, hiding her most intimate parts from her own gaze as she stared. Her face looked pale and drawn, her cheekbones now a lot more prominent then usual. The smile that usually adorned her face was gone and looking at her lips, Stephanie wasn't sure if she even could smile again. Traveling down her reflection, she couldn't help but notice how tense she looked; it wasn't until then that she noticed the way her whole posture and stance had changed, no longer was she standing tall and straight like she'd become accustomed to.

Stephanie took a deep breath then, hands moving to unwrap her towel from around her and placing it atop the bathroom counter beside her. Her gaze stayed focused just above her shoulder for a moment; this was the first time she was looking at herself since she'd been attacked and she was a little scared. Eventually her gaze turned back to her body, lips pressing tightly together as she looked at herself. She didn't know what it was but she'd imagined she'd look different; _uglier_ or _dirtier_ then her normal self. But she didn't.

It was obvious that she'd lost weight, she'd barely been eating and there were still bruises littering her body, ones she didn't want to think about. She felt so much more different inside that it confused her for a moment why her physical appearance hadn't changed much. It shouldn't have, she was still the same person but mentally it didn't feel like she was anymore and she didn't know how to reconcile the two. With a sigh she skimmed her hands over her body, wincing a little as she pressed a little too hard on a fading bruise across her thigh before snapping her gaze away and snatching up her pajamas again.

She turned her back to the mirror, putting her clothes back on, not bothering to dry her hair as she rushed out of the bathroom. She flicked the light off and was glad to see the bedroom light was off too as she made her way to her bed. She crawled under the covers, moving across the bed to cuddle into Paul's side. Her arms wrapped around his body as best they could, holding him tightly, closing her eyes as his arm wrapped around her back, holding her close. She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head, a small smile quirking her lips as she lay there, head resting against his chest.

"You okay?" she heard him ask and she nodded slightly, though they both knew she was anything but okay.

"I want to feel normal again," she mumbled back, pressing her face against his neck, eyes closing as she spoke. "I want to go back to work."

* * *

_AN: So here is the next chapter. I've gotten muse back and I'm curious about what you'd like to me to update next. The choices are A Beautiful Mess, This Life of Sin and this fic, If You Should See Me... _

_Let me know in the reviews which you'd like. I hope you enjoyed and please review! :) LT._


	10. Chapter 10

**If You Should See Me…**

It was 8:30am when Stephanie and Paul finally arrived at Titan Towers and Stephanie's heart started to beat wildly. She had thought she'd be fine coming back to work but entering the car park, she wasn't so sure. Silently she reached across the car, trembling hand taking hold of her husband's hand tightly, squeezing slightly as they drove in.

"Baby, are you sure you're okay?" Paul asked softly, glancing over at her as he deliberately drove to the furthest space along the car park. As two of the top executives, both their spaces were within the first row of parks but instead of going to Stephanie's usual park, they'd taken one car and parked in Paul's spot instead.

Stephanie took several long, deep breaths before nodding unsteadily before answering. "No," she shook her head. "But I don't know how ready I'll ever be. I just, I need to do it," she told him firmly, with a precise nod of her head. What she'd said was true, she didn't think she'd ever be okay about it but she could start moving on and that included facing her current fear. Still, even being so close to where her attack had happened was nerve-wracking; she knew nothing would happen, her father had doubled down on security and most importantly, Paul would never let anything happen to her. Not again.

Pulling into the parking space, Paul sighed. It had only been three weeks and he honestly didn't think Stephanie should be back at work yet. He's told her as much and while he'd tried not to have an argument, that was what had happened. The executive had felt terrible for raising his voice at his wife – he always did during arguments – but this had felt worse. Eventually he'd given in, realising how stubborn his wife was and knowing there was no talking her out of it. He couldn't keep her wrapped up in cotton wool and protected forever like he wanted. So here they were, sitting in the parking lot of their office while she tried not to hyperventilate.

"I know you need to do this but just…take your time, okay?" He told her with a sigh. "I love you Stephanie, I know you can do this and I'll always be right here if you need me," he told her sweetly, giving her hand an encouraging squeeze.

They both stayed there for a moment, holding hands before getting out of the car and making their way into Titan Towers. Walking past her usual parking space, neither Stephanie nor Paul glanced towards the empty spot and as they walked inside, Stephanie finally started to feel like things were going to be okay.

* * *

Detective Eric Southward was frustrated. It had been three weeks since he and his partner, Detective Maggie Cohan had been assigned what was considered a high profile case. He had been confused at first, as to why the case was supposedly 'high profile', there didn't seem to be media attention around the woman and he'd never heard her name before.

That was until he and Maggie actually went to speak to the woman. It had been at the hospital, the day after her attack and as he and Maggie approached her hospital room with a nurse leading the way, that he saw three tall men arguing by her room. One of the men, clearly gone grey and wearing jeans and a tight black sweater had his back towards them. The other two were in rumpled suits and he could see both their faces, instantly recognising one. Triple H, a wrestler. A former wrestler at least if the buzz cut and suit was anything to go by.

Maggie had spoken first, gaining the attention of all three men. Eric had watched the WWF as a teenager and as the men turned it hadn't taken long for him to identify the other two men either. With two McMahon's and a Triple H, it didn't take long for him to piece together who their victim was likely to be.

Stephanie McMahon. Or, now married, Stephanie Levesque rather.

Either way, three weeks they'd been working on this case, trying to figure out who could have possibly raped the former Billion Dollar Princess. Their first thoughts had been a stalker, or an over zealous fan who couldn't separate fiction from reality. But they'd found nothing suggesting either of those things.

The husband had been the next suspect, violent assaults were usually perpetrated by someone the victim knows, but over a dozen employees and a flight crew could attest that he'd been in Florida. It left Eric and Maggie with basically nothing, no leads and no idea who could've attacked Stephanie McMahon.

"There's nothing," he murmured, looking over the case file once more. Every lead they could think to look at was dead and unless the DNA from the rape kit gave them anything new, the case would have to be put on the back burner. It wasn't something either of them really wanted to do, especially when such a brutal and horrendous crime had been committed but without a lead, the case was dead.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Maggie Cohan, the voice of his partner spoke up from behind him.

Eric swung around in his chair, leaning back as he looked up at her. She had a folder clutched tightly in her hand as she stood in front of him, tapping it with a barely restrained smirk. "The DNA came back from the lab and…I think we've got something," she told him, dropping the folder on his desk and flipping it to the page she wanted to show him. "Read that," she pointed to the results, arms crossed as she leant against his desk.

Eric frowned but leant forward, eyes scanning the words, skipping over the scientific jargon he didn't understand. Until he got to a sentence that made his eyes widen, looking up at her in shock.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" He asked seriously, hands tightening on the table.

Maggie nodded, eyebrows raised. "Yeah, it does. The lab checked it three times. I think we've finally got a lead," she told him seriously.

"Yeah. I think we do. Let's go have a little chat," Eric nodded, grabbing his coat as he stood and following his partner out of the station. They'd finally caught a break in the case, a disturbing one but a break nonetheless.

* * *

_AN: Guys. I wrote this on my iPhone cause I broke my laptop screen. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update my other fics. But I'll give it a go. _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Please review. :) LT._


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